Feeding trough for livestock



Feb. 22, 1944. o. P. cRlM FEEDING- THOUGH FOR LIVESTOCK 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29, 1941 IVENTOR. 's ra'm/ Feb. 22, 1944n o. P. cRlM FEEDING THOUGH FOR LIVESTOCK 2 vShsuats-Slnaet 2 @www NN., .QN

JN VEN TOR.

ATTE R N EYB Patented Feb. 22, 1944 UNITED STATES yPATE NT 0F F lI C E EEEBING TRQUGH; FQR1 LlYESQGIS, Otis B; Grim, Aiui'er.salu111911.,Y ApplicationA November 29, 1941, Seriali No. 4213.055.

(ci.` 11s-61),v

2 Claims My invention relates toA new and useful im-A provements in feeding troughs forI livestock.

An important object of myfinvention is theprovision of: a feeding` trough thatis particularly,

though not exclusively, adapted to hogs, the alf-- rangement being such that the animals feedingfrom the trough* will be kept separate from each other and will` be prevented from climbing bodilybe, easily cleaned thereby providing a strong, du-

rablev and yet sanitaryY construction.

Other objects and advantages of my invention,4 will' be apparent during the course of the following description.

In th'e drawings, forming a part ofY this speci,-

iication, and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure l is a toppl'an, view Qf a device embodyne mi' uiventifon,4

Figure 2 is aside elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is aY Vertical longitudinal sectional view taken, ony the line 3,-3 of' Figure 1,

Figure Lljis a transverse vertical sectional View taken on theline 4 4. of Figure i',

Figure. 5 is a. fragmentary side elevation of my device. and showing the same in both a Ahorizontal and tilted position.

Figure. (iv is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view,- takenon the line 6.-.6 of ligure4 Figure '7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sec.-l tional View taken on theliney l-l off Figure, 4;,

`Figli-re; 8, is a ragmentary sideelevationof the device lookingv in the direction of the. arrows tif-t of. Figure 1 Figure 9, is, a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional; View taken on the line 9-.9 of Fig-ure 5, and

Figure 10. is a fragmentary vertical longitudi-v nal sectional View taken on the line IU-l of Figure 9.

InI the accompanying drawings, wherein forthe purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodiment of-my invention, they numeral IB designates a supporting structure which comprises a plurality of aligned substantially equispaced supports Il. Each of the supports is identical in its construction and is preferably constructed from an elongated strip of metallic Sheet or bar material. Each support is -formed at substantially' its` middle with a dependingsemi-circular" curved portion l2 having laterally extending horizontal: ledges; i3: formed at the opposite ends thereof and the ledges areY formed at their outerends with downwardly' extending'l legs i4 which terminate in outwardlyl directedbases l5. As may be readily observed: from the drawings, the several supports: are arranged in spaced relationy with each other and withl the intermediatecurved portions I2 in alignment to receive the semi-cylindrical feeding trough or tank It. The intermediate curved portions of the su-pports snuglyreceive andv conform to the curved portion ofthe trough and the opposite longitudinal edges of the trough are each' formed with an outwardlyy extending lip |-1 which overhangs and is supportedv by the ledges I3 of the supports.

One of" the fundamental objects of this invention is to provide aa device that may7 not be overturned by the stool:A feeding therefrom. I have, thereiore, xedly and permanently anchored the supports. to the door or ground lil,y as by means Qi bolts or studs t9 or the like. I. have. also provided means. for detach'ably securing the. tank to the several4 supports this last means comprising staples 20 iixedly attached to` and upstanding from the. ledges f3. of the supports. The staples alle received within registering slots 2l formed in the Qverhansing lips I1 of the tank and a portion thereof projects substantially above the,- Inelltioned lips of the tank to receive the, ends o f the bars 22.` By reason of the fact that each of the, ledges of the supports carries a staple 20 the staples will be` arranged in pairs at Spa-ed intervals. along the length of the tank and the. staples o f eachpair will be disposed in transverselyaligning relation with each other. The end 23 of` each bar is formed with a laterally odset. head. portion. which prevents, axial movement of the bar, iu a direction to draw the head through the ediacent; sla-ple.v The Opposite end of the bar-extends through` and beyond the staple located at. the side of the tank remote from the head 23 and rthe portion thereof extending be-y yond the staple is provided with an opening for receiving a spring catch 241 or the like. While Iv have4 herei'llustrated a sprl-ngy catch as being used to hold the bars against displacement, it is to be understood that a padlock, stud bolt er any other suitable means' may be used.

Ifr the trough is to be used for the feeding of` hogs it is necessary that some means be provided for separating the animals and for preventing the same from climbing bodily into the tank. Therefore, when the device is being used for this purpose, I provide a removable guard frame which is of generally rectangular formation in plan and is of a length substantially equal to the length of the tank. The guard frame is formed at each side and at one end thereof with a depending lip or flange 23, the side anges of which extend along the outer side of the vertical legs I4 of the supports and the end flange of which` overlaps the uppermar'ginal edgeof. the adjacent end of the tank. The rectangular frame 25 is divided into equal spaces 21 by the transversely extending bars or partitions 28. Each of the spaces 21 is of sufficient width to permit a hog to insert its head between the adjacent bars-or partitions in eating from the tank but the 'adjacent' bars are spaced suiiiciently close together-` toprevent the animal from climbing bodily therein..

ing in which the trough is situated and by reason of the fact that the tank is, in turn, xedly but detachably secured to the supports by the rods 22. Removal of the catches 24 will permit the bars to be slipped through the staples whereby the guard frame, if used, may be lifted vertically and removed from the tank. If desired, the tank itself may then be lifted from the supports. However, inasmuch as the tank is preferably formed from galvanized metal or the like, it is extremely heavy andI have, therefore, provided one of the end supports Il with horizontally extending tabs 3l which extend from the ledges i3 and below the overhanging lip I1. of the tank. Pins 32, xedly attached to the lip of the tank, extend downwardly through elongated slots 33 in the tabs, which pins are restricted in their movements relative to the support to within limits dened by the length of the slots 33.

As clearly illustrated in the drawings, the Aend 34 of the tank extending beyond the tabs 3| is spherically curved. The opposite end 35 of the tank is formed with a vertical end wall and if this end of the tank is moved upwardly to tilt the tank tothe position illustrated by the dotted lines in Figure 5, a stream of water may be directed into the tank to cleanse the interior of the same, which water is then permitted to flow by gravity from the lower `curved end of the tank. When the tank is in the tilted position it will be prevented from sliding from the support by engagement of the pins 32 within the slots 33 and when the tank is again lowered to the horizontal position the pin andslot connection will reposition the openings in the extending lip thereof in alignment with the upstanding staples of the supports.

In order that vthe tankmay be held in the tilted position, I have provided a bail which normally extends below the tank and has its opposite ends pivotally attached at opposite sides of the tank directly below the overhanging lip thereof. Thus, when the tank is tilted the bail will automatically swing downwardly and wedge itself against the ground or against the surface of the oor on which the supports are mounted. Pos1- tioning of the bail in this manner will hold the tank in the tilted position until the cleansing operation is completed at which time the end 35 of the tank may be lifted slightly to release the bail and the tank again lowered to the horizontal position.

It may thus be seen that when the bars 22 are placed inlocking relation with the tank, the tank will be flxedly associated with the supports and that when it is desired to cleanse the tank it is only necessary to remove the bars and tilt .the tank. This operation may be easily and expeditiously accomplished and may be readily performed by a single person.

While the bars 28 prevent large hogs from climbing into the tank, I find that pigs or shoats do climb therein and step across the bars 28, as

well as lie across the same, with their feet within the tank, thus the shoats not only prevent the large hogs from using the trough, but they cause the water or swill therein to become muddy or otherwise dirty, so that the hogs will not drink the same. In order to overcome that condition, I provide upwardly bowed guard strips 31, ter minating in ears 38 that are riveted or otherwise fixed to the upper faces of the ends 0f the bars 28 by the same means that secure the bars to the horizontal ange 29 of the guard frame 25 there being a strip 31 overlying each bar, and while I have shown the strips as being bowed in semicircular formation, they may be of semi-oval shape or inverted V-shape. l

It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention, or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A trough of the character described, comprising a stationary supporting structure having n which the tank may be rocked when the bars are removed.

2. A trough of the character described, compris--` ing a stationary supporting structure with lateral,

spaced side ledges, an open tank between said ledges with lateral flanges resting thereon, a guard frame having side rails resting upon the anges 'of the tank, the ilanges of the tank and side rails of the guard frame having registering openings, oppositely arranged staples carried by the ledges of the supporting structure and passing through the openings in the tank flanges andthe side rails of the guard frame, and transverse bars loosely passing through the staples and held against longitudinal movement, whereby the guard frame and the tank are held on the side ledges of the supporting structure.

OTIS P. CRIM. 

